Some people find their calling early. Cosco Jones found his at age three, building with Legos and sketching houses in a neighborhood that was often overlooked but never short on potential. That early fascination with building things and helping people never left him, it just grew up alongside him into a career built on energy justice, sustainable building science, and making sure low-income communities aren't left paying the price for inefficient homes. Jones's path toward su

This fall, Black Sustainability, Inc. is doubling down on hands-on land education. Whether you've got two hours over lunch or three full days to invest, there's a way to step deeper into AfroIndigenous and NRCS-rooted land practices this season. Here's everything coming up, and why it matters. Why These Trainings Are Needed Black and Afro-Indigenous growers have carried land wisdom for generations, but access to the technical resources, certifications, and funding pathways th

This month we're shining our spotlight on Sister Barbara LaRonde, cannabis consultant and educator, community activist, entertainment manager and producer, radio personality, and one of the most persistent voices behind the Virgin Islands' hemp and cannabis movement. Her mission is simple to state and hard to execute: make sure local people aren't shut out of an industry that's about to change the territory's economy. Sister B spent a decade campaigning for the legislation th

Zieair Clinton isn't waiting for permission to build something big. At 22, he's already a co-owner, an independent contractor, and now a solar trainee and he sees all three as pieces of the same long game. Born and raised on Atlanta's Westside, Zieair co-owns Sweet Sol, a cooperative that makes and sells hot sauce, and works as an independent contractor with Eco-PARADIGM. Music, community, and pushing past his comfort zone are what drive him and it was Eco-PARADIGM that firs

For JoAnna M. Powell, solar training is the newest tool in a toolbox she's been building for years on Atlanta's Westside. A native Atlanta resident and proud resident of "the BEST side, the Westside," JoAnna serves as President of the Lincoln Homes Neighborhood Association and Program Manager for NPU-G. Her life's work centers on environmental stewardship, equitable community development, and building the kind of long-term neighborhood resilience that means families never hav

Kenneth Stewart isn't waiting for the clean energy boom to arrive in the South. He's training to build it! A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Stewart has had a career that took him north for awhile before returning to Georgia with his family. After attending a few Black Sustainability programs and events, he learned of this solar opportunity and he applied. He joined our GRID Alternatives training with a resume built on sales, marketing, and customer service, not solar panels

For Candace "Dr. K" Clark, solar training is the next chapter of a life already devoted to Black sustainability, both in theory and in practice. Originally from Chicago and now based in central Alabama, Dr. K serves as co-executive director of the cooperative Farm Plug Unite and works with Tuskegee University's Carver Integrative Sustainability Center. They recently completed a dissertation exploring a question that shapes everything they do: what does sustainable development

July 10, 11, and 12, 2026 There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over a farm early in the morning, before the work begins, when the dew is still on the leaves and everyone is just arriving, tools in hand, unsure yet of exactly how the day will unfold. That's how our farm brigade weekend at Upendo Estate Farms started. By the time we left, that quiet had turned into something else entirely: the satisfaction of a community that had shown up for the land, and for each

When communities come together to support one another, amazing things happen. We are bursting with gratitude as we look back on our recent Irrigation Workshop and Farm Tour at the Bordeaux Farmer’s Market in St. Thomas sponsored by Winston County Self Help Cooperative and Natural Resource Conservation Service. This incredibly impactful 2-day workshop held on June 17 & 18 was a true team effort. Black Sustainability, Inc. (BSI) had the absolute honor of collaborating with We G

On August 16 & 17, 2025, Black Sustainability, Inc. and Eco-PARADIGM hosted another successful AfroEcology Series workshop at the historic Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida. This was a hands-on workshop focused on high-tunnel installation with FAMU's Lola Hampton - Frank Pinder Center for Agroecology (LHFPCA). Alpha Phi Alpha represented! Amongst other attendees, we want to give a shout out to the Alphas who showed up to give us a strength on Saturday! USD